Sibuna's No1 Fan's Challenge: Christmas Special
by A Reviewing Reader
Summary: Her hand on the door, about to open it, when Amber said, "Nina, wait. Don't go." Nina glanced at her ex-roommate, her hazel eyes pooling with sadness. "Amber," she whispered. "I'm sorry." And she walked out the door.
1. Shopping Favors

Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis.

This is for Sibuna's No1 Fan's Challenge, but also a spin-off story for my main story Only A Dream? This is the dress shopping section of the story, and I didn't think these scenes NEEDED to be in here.

Oh, and also there are not that many references to Christmas, but one Christmas tradition does tear the house apart near the end, so I think it works.

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><p>Chapter 1: Shopping Favors<p>

Nina's footsteps made soft crunching sounds as my boots trampled the snow underfoot. She lifted her chin to see the house in the distance, the destination for this visit from all the way across campus. She exhaled my held in breath into the icy air, creating a white cloud in front of her, but was careful not to breath in too deeply and inhale the frigid air around me.

Anubis House was close, its big windows and tall frame were easy to see over the smaller trees in the area. As she saw it growing larger with each step, my excitement continued to build.

Today she was going to go dress-shopping with Amber for our Winter Formal. Nina's old roommate had texted her, saying that today all of the Anubis girls were going to town and that she was invited, too.

Nina didn't bother asking anyone from Odin to come along, the only person who would have actually given it a thought would have been Charlotte, but she already told Nina that she had to finish her homework.

Or maybe that was another one of her lies. Maybe she just didn't want to come with her; she had no idea anymore.

Nina approached the doorway, knocking once on the door. When she heard a distant "Come in!" she opened the door and walked in. All she saw was a flash of blonde hair before falling to the ground with her old roommate holding onto her like a vice.

"Amber, Amber, Amber . . . Please don't choke me to death . . . I _am_ going to the dance, you know," Nina was able to get out.

"Oh, sorry, Nina!" She let go of Nina, her blue eyes wild with excitement. "So who are you going with?"

"Michael Rizzo, from Odin House," Nina said, smiling.

"Ooooh, that one really nice kid? Awesome! Well, now we have to get a dress for you, too!" Amber trilled.

She pulled Nina inside, and the American girl saw the girls that were there: Mara, Patricia, and . . . Joy. Joy smiled at her, as if they were long-time friends, but Nina knew better. Nina narrowed her eyes at Joy, and Joy glared in reply. They glowered at each other until Mara's voice interrupted Nina's thoughts.

"Hey Nina, are you coming shopping with us?" Mara asked with a smile. Nina turned to her and smiled in return.

"Yeah, I am. I'm going to the dance, too, so I thought why not go shopping now?" Nina shrugged nonchalantly.

"Okay, I just need to grab my purse and shoes and brush my hair and . . ." Amber listed off. She put a finger to her chin. "I guess I'm not ready. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Everyone simultaneously sighed and scattered to different areas of the house. Patricia and Joy wandered into the living room to watch a bit of TV, Mara walked into the kitchen to help Trudy make some cookies, Amber dashed into her room to fix her makeup and such, and Nina drifted over to the hallway.

She traced the lines of the carvings on the banisters that showed the Eye of Horus symbol that were currently strung with Christmas lights, remembering the memories that came along with that symbol. The memories washed through her: the secret Sibuna meetings in the middle of the night, the clues found here and there, the days she would spend poring over books with Fabian as she tried to figure out heads or tails of the mystery. She missed it all; even the hectic, scary situations left a hole in her heart. Who was she, now that there was no mystery in her life? Was she still Nina, the Chosen One?

"I'm ready!" Amber's voice carried through the house. Nina looked up, jolting back her hand as if she was shocked. She hurried away from the banister and rushed over to the chair with the phone on the table beside it. She fiddled idly with the festive, red and green tea cozy that rested underneath the phone, as Amber pranced down the stairs and announced, "I'm ready!" once more.

"Alright, Amber, we're coming!" Patricia's voice yelled from the living room.

Nina snickered, watching Patricia trudge into the hallway with Joy in tow behind her. Mara appeared from the kitchen with an apron spattered with flour and oven mittens on her hands, holding a tray of unbaked dough.

"Are we going?" Mara asked.

"Mara, wait! We still have to put the Christmas cookies in the oven!" Trudy exclaimed frantically, rushing out of the kitchen with a look identical to Mara.

"I'm sorry, Trudy! I have to go! Can you take care of the cookies for me?" Mara handed her the cookies and took off her mittens and apron, draping them on the counter and grabbing her purse from its place on the couch.

"Ah- O-Okay," Trudy stuttered. "Have fun, dearies!"

The girls all went out the door, all glad to finally be on their way to town. Amber hailed two taxis. Patricia and Joy had taken the first taxi, leaving the other three having to cram into the second one.

Because of traffic that the first taxi somehow avoided, Patricia was tapping her foot impatiently when the other three arrived. Joy was nowhere to be found, and Nina was secretly happy about that.

"What took you so long?" Patricia asked snidely.

"Traffic, sorry," Amber said bluntly, putting away her purse after paying the taxi driver. She strode into the boutique called "All She Needs" and the rest of the girls followed.

"Where's Joy?" Mara questioned, looking around for the dark-haired girl.

"She's gone off shopping. We had to wait ten minutes, so after a minute she told me to wait for you three while she started shopping," Patricia reported. She did not seem very happy about having to wait, probably wanting to shop or at least hang out with her best friend until the other girls came.

"Can you call her and ask where she is?" Amber piped up. Mara and Nina walked over to a few racks, looking over some blue and purple shirts while Patricia took out her phone.

"Sure," Patricia muttered, dialing the number. She put it to her ear, pausing for a moment while the dial tone rang, until Joy picked up. "Hello?" could be heard from the other end.

"Joy, where are you? Everyone's here now, so can you tell us where you are so we can meet you?" Patricia asked.

A muffled reply came from the other end, and Patricia nodded, saying a quick goodbye, and hung up. "She's over by jewelry," the red head informed.

The other girls followed Patricia who lead them to a section with glittering necklaces and gorgeous earrings. Right next door was the shoe section, full of heels and boots and sneakers that came in a variety of colors.

Joy walked over to them, automatically moving towards Patricia. They all huddled together, about to organize a plan for the day.

"Okay, wanna split up and meet back here at 3?" Patricia asked everyone.

Nina checked her phone: it was 12:37pm, so she had about two-and-a-half hours to get her dress and shoes and meet back here to pick out jewelry with everyone.

Everyone nodded and dispersed to different areas. Nina wandered into the dresses section, looking through the racks but not finding anything her style. She grabbed a few dresses in her size that were in colors that looked good on her to try on.

First was a purple dress, with thin straps for her shoulders and a loose bodice that was black. A black sparkly top with a dark skirt with several layers of tulle underneath: not Nina.

Next was a long copper gown, which 1) turned out to be longer on her than she thought it was when she was eyeing it, 2) looked like a prom dress, and 3) appeared as if she was Vana White, about to turn the letters for the Wheel of Fortune show. She knew it was not appropriate for the dance, so into the discarded dress heap it went.*

After that was a slim black dress that would be more suitable for a night club than a high school dance. It had spaghetti straps adorned with black, crepe flowers that crept on to frame the low, v-cut of the dress. It was made of a silky material, however, so in a way it was pretty comfortable. But it was just a bit too inappropriate for her style, partly because of its tight fit around her hips and legs, also because of its short length, so Nina put it in the "no" pile.

The second to last dress was a dark blue, sort-of sheath dress that was too tight around her chest but fluttered around her waist and legs with feathery material. Nina looked at herself in different angles in the three-way mirror, but she knew that this was not the one for her.

Nina grabbed the last one of her possible dresses category, and just looked it over. It was all white, the only exception being a black sash that was made of lace and had a lacey bow on the side. She stared at it, thinking that this may be a good one: it was her style, completely appropriate for the dance. Maybe . . .

She slipped it on, liking the feel of the top that hugged her chest, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was long, like a ball gown's skirt with a bunch of tulle, but instead of looking flashy, she appeared more elegant than ever.

She looked this way and that in the mirror, trying to see if there was anything at the back that she could not see that looked bad. Everything seemed alright, there were really no cons.

"Nina! I love it!" Amber squealed.

Nina spun around to face Amber, her widening. "Uh, Amber, h-how long have you been standing there?"

"Not long! I love that dress on you, it is _so_ gorgeous and _so_ your style!" the blonde exclaimed. She grabbed Nina's arm and pulled her away from the mirror, to get a closer look at the dress.

"Well, everything is perfect. Except for the length," Amber remarked.

"I can't really fix that," Nina replied. "So do you think I should look at other dresses or-"

"Nina, Nina, Nina," Amber tutted. "I know someone in town who is a tailor and can fix it for you. No charge, too!"

"R-Really, Amber? That would be great, thank you!"

"No problem. Here, let's buy it first," Amber instructed. Nina went back into the changing room, took off the dress, and changed back into her winter clothes.

She hung the dress on its hanger, opened the door, and went out to meet Amber. Nina checked the price, and her eyes widened. It was really expensive, almost twice the amount of spending money that she had with her.

"I'm not sure if I can buy this," Nina said.

"Oh Nina, don't be silly. How much is it?" Amber said, taking the dress and looking at the price tag.

"It's bad, right? I'll get something else," Nina said. But Amber's expression remained calm, not looking surprised by the price.

"That's not bad. Here, I'll pay," Amber said, whipping out her credit card. Nina frowned and shook her head.

"No, no, no. It's too expensive, I don't want you to pay-"

"Nina, you are going to that dance," Amber said, her eyes glinting.

"No, Amber. It's too much-"

"I am going to buy you this dress so you can go to the dance, even if I have to tie you down and pay for it myself," Amber said, her voice low.

Nina sighed, her shoulders slumping. "You know, under all of those pink and sparkles, you are a really scary girl," she said.

Amber beamed at her, looking like her old self. "Oh, I know. You _do not_ get between me and fashion. That's when the claws come out." Amber formed her hands into claws, her smile turning devious.

Nina laughed, throwing her arms around her Best British Friend in thanks for buying the dress.

"Just think of it as my Christmas gift to you this year," Amber said in Nina's ear. Nina only laughed in reply.

The two walked to the register and Amber passed the dress over to the cashier so the woman could scan the price of it. Amber handed the woman her credit card to pay for it.

"So what dress did you get?" Nina asked, eyeing Amber's translucent bag that only showed a baby blue material.

Amber's eyes drifted down to the dress, her eyes immediately lighting up. "It's gorgeous, Nina. One of my favorite dresses-ever. But I can't show it to you, not yet! It's a surprise that you'll have to wait to see at the dance!"

. . . . .

"Amber, this is amazing. This is spectacular. I can't believe it," Nina gasped. She stared at the dress before her, utterly amazed at how well the tailor fixed it.

"Just wait until you try it on!" Amber squealed. "Your date will love it.

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><p>Yes, I know. Nothing happened in it, but drama ensues in the next chapter, which I will give you guys tomorrow! Thanks for reading!<p>

~Ary


	2. Kissing Is A Mistake

Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis

The last chapter of this spin-off! As you can see, a kiss happens that ruins everything and divides the house. I hope you guys enjoy it!

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><p>Chapter 2: Kissing Is A Mistake<p>

_R u here?_ Amber's text read.

Nina replied, _Ya. I'll b up ther in a sec._

She felt a buzzing in her pocket once more, but knew it was just a "k" from Amber.

It was an hour after shopping, and since they had not been out too late, Nina had been asked to stay and study with Mara and Amber. Nina checked her messenger bag to make sure she had all of her books to study with, when suddenly she bumped into a person.

All of Nina's books spilled out of her bag, clattering onto the hardwood floor. As Nina continued to apologize for bumping into the person, they swore under their breath and Nina realized it was a guy. She looked up into the dark blue eyes that sparkled, but then almost immediately hardened after seeing who it was. Her breath caught in her throat at seeing those blue eyes, it had been so long since she had seen them that close. Though her heart was hammering from meeting him again, she formed her expression into a cool look that was emotionless.

"Nina," he said coldly.

"Fabian," she replied, her tone equal to his.

"Sorry for bumping into you," Fabian said.

"No problem," Nina said.

"Here are your books." He handed her the books that she had not been able to grab. Nina took them silently, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Hey, Rutter, Martin! Look up!" Jerome's voice rang through the hall.

Both students looked up, seeing a small plant with white berries hanging above them from a string from Jerome's fist. Both Nina and Fabian realized what it was on sight: mistletoe.

"Leave, Jerome," Fabian snapped.

"Oooh, testy, are we Fabian?" Jerome teased.

"Seriously, leave," Nina warned.

"What about a kiss before we go?" Alfie said from behind them.

Nina began shaking her head. "No. I'm leaving-right now."

"Ah ah, Nina!" Alfie said. He grabbed her hand and pushed the two together.

Nina's lips locked with Fabian's, and they were both startled by the amount of sparks that flew between them. Immediately they pulled apart, Nina wrenching her hand from Alfie's and wiping her mouth with her sleeve. Fabian glared at her for a moment, then shook his head as if to clear the kiss from his thoughts.

A gasp was heard from overhead, and a shout of, "You slut!"

Patricia was standing overhead, her eyes as wide as saucers and her jaw dropped. Amber was already in front of her, paused as she descended the stairs, her expression just as shocked and surprised as her red-headed roommate's.

"Joy!" Patricia screamed to her friend.

"N-No, Patricia! It-It was nothing!" Fabian exclaimed, his expression frantic and panicked.

"Yeah, Patric-" The smile disappeared from Joy's face as she saw how close Nina and Fabian were. "What are you doing here, Nina?"

"I invited her." Amber's voice was quiet. All eyes turned to her, but the only one Amber was looking at was Nina.

"What's going on?" Mara asked, finally appearing at the top of the stairs, next to Joy.

"Fabian is a cheater, that's what is going on," Patricia said harshly.

"It wasn't Fabes. It was Nina, wasn't it?" Joy hissed.

Nina narrowed her eyes, going into a defensive stance. "Joy, shut up. I did nothing here. Stop blaming me for everything!" She pointed her finger at Jerome and Alfie. "It was those two idiots: Tweedledumb and Tweedleidiot! If you don't believe me, ask them yourself!"

Joy raced down the stairs, facing Nina with her teeth bared and her eyes glinting. "Oh yeah? Don't tell me you didn't _want_ to kiss him!"

Nina didn't reply, instead lunging at Joy. She pulled at her hair, tumbling over each other as they fought. Joy attacked her back, pushing her against the ground, but being knocked down again as Nina struggled.

"Girls, girls! Stop it!" Fabian shouted. Strong arms lifted Nina from the ground, the same thing with Joy. Nina saw Fabian restraining Joy, who was clearly struggling. Nina glared at the person who was holding her back: Jerome.

"Let me go, Jerome! This isn't your fight!" Nina argued.

"You guys need to stop fighting. It seems every time you come in contact, you always argue or attack each other," Alfie stated. For once, he was the being the peacemaker.

"This isn't your fight either, Alfie!" Joy yelled.

"Stop it! Just stop it, you two!" Mick roared.

Everyone grew quiet as soon as they saw the football* player come into the hallway. His expression was stern and dangerous, warning anyone who challenged him that he would fight back and win.

"Nina. Joy. Talk it out, or one of you leave. We don't want anymore fighting. Especially since Trudy just made it a house rule that there will be no fights in Anubis House," Mick reasoned. It was a surprise that he was trying to settle the arguments. Maybe this season was changing everyone for the better.

"We have nothing to talk about," Joy spat.

"For the first time, we actually agree on something," Nina remarked.

When it was quiet for a minute, in a silent stalemate, no one moved. It seems as if everyone was holding their breath, awaiting the next move. Nina made it.

"Get off of me," she muttered, wriggling free of Jerome's hold. When she saw him moving toward her, she shot daggers at him with her eyes. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt everyone's favorite housemate." She swiftly looked at Joy, not saying a word, then turned to the door.

Her hand on the door, about to open it, when Amber said, "Nina, wait. Don't go."

Nina glanced at her ex-roommate, her hazel eyes pooling with sadness. "Amber," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

And she walked out the door.

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><p>*: Even though Nina is from America where British football is called soccer, I figured that she has lived in England for so long that it's starting to rub off on her.<p>

Nina may be a little OC because she's starting fights a lot, but hey, she's been through a lot and she is sick and tired of having Joy fire allegations at her. So, that's why she is so angry nowadays.

Oh, and I'm sorry it is so short, I actually was going to tag this on the end of the last chapter, but decided against it. Please review and look forward to an upcoming chapter of Only A Dream?

~Ary


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